Maverick XR-50 vs. Thermoworks Smoke
My old Maverick ET-732 has seen it better days & is ready to be replaced. I'm considering either the Maverick XR-50 or the Thermoworks Smoke. I'm asking for recommendations/opinions/comments on either or both of these thermometers that might help me decide between these. Any feedback will be appreciated! Thanks
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I know it's a different price point but I'd consider the Fireboard V2 as well. But if it was only between the 2 you are looking at I'd lean a bit more towards the smoke because of warranty and number of positive feedback posts I've seen around here and other sites. -
I've owned both and I would go Thermoworks every time.Comment
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Thanks!Comment
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I've never used the Maverick but owned the smoke.....was not impressed so gave it to my son and bought the first gen Fireboard. Now own it and the new V2 and love them.Comment
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I own and use the ThermoWorks Smoke, I like it a lot and am very happy with it. 2 little things though I’m not fond of. The receiver it comes with has a curved and rounded bottom to it. It will not stand up on its own. It comes with a cloth braided cord that you can attach and wear around your wrist or neck! Who the hell does that? Otherwise it will only lay flat. I guess you could loop it through a belt loop on your pants, but I damn sure don’t wanna walk around with that thing swaying back and forth.
2nd thing, and neither of these is really a deal breaker though….if you do not have both probes inserted into the main unit, the one readout that’s open will blink incessantly during your whole cook. It blinks on the receiver too, kind of annoying and there’s no way to turn it off. Otherwise it’s a great thermometer.
That being said, there’s a ton of Fireboard fans here. I don’t believe I’ve heard anything negative about them. In fact, if my ThermoWorks ever goes out, I’d probably go with a Fireboard myself.
One thing I bought as an accessory is this ThermoWorks carrying/storage case. I love it, keeps it clean and dust free in my garage. If you get either brand, look into a case for it.
Last edited by Panhead John; June 13, 2022, 11:01 AM.Comment
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You can get a little stand for the receiver for $6 at thermoworks. Also they make a wifi bridge which was a PITA to set up but makes using the smoke effortless. No pairing, no range issues, and my phone is now the receiver via an app that provides a graphing utility for the cook. Im sure the fire board is awesome but it's a little more $. Thermoworks has sales all the time so don't pay full price unless you absolutely have to have it right now. 🔥🔥🔥🿠-
You probably do that just to look important. 😂Last edited by Panhead John; June 13, 2022, 03:44 PM.
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I’ve got the Smoke and absolutely love it. Thermoworks also regularly has sales, so if you can wait, you can sign up for their emails and get it at a discount. When I bought mine, it was listed for $100 + shipping and I got it for $80 and free shipping. But they will send you 2-3 emails each week, ugh.
I’ve never used either the Fireboard of the Maverick, so I can’t comment on them. At least in terms of the Fireboard, it has a lot of features that the Smoke does not has (web/cloud enabled, fan compatibility, etc.), which may or may not be a big deal to you (it isn’t for me). Something to consider and contemplate.Comment
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I have the Smoke and it's great (I have the 2 probe version). The Fireboard, while also great, isn't a good comparison since they're at vastly different price points and feature sets. If you want what the FB offers, it's great. If not, it's useless fluff that just adds to the price. So, really, you have to decide what features you want. I settled on the Smoke because I just wanted to the ability to check current meat and smoker temps. Don't care about graphing, wireless, fans etc. But that's me.Comment
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I'm deciding on what features I want vs. what I really need. Having the blower to control airflow instead of fiddling around with the vent openings is pretty handy. It was 100+ degrees outside here yesterday & I was smoking a turkey breast. Had to brave the heat to adjust the vents quite a few times (as per normal for me). Basic features are my gotta haves but so the smoke or maverick will do the trick. Thermoworks has their Billows blower & Signals thermometer on a little sale now so I may talk
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I’ve had the Smoke, and swapped it out for the FireBoard, and never looked back. I can’t speak for the XR-50, just heard good things though.
The thing that will help you decide is exactly what rickgregory is asking: what features do you want/need? What do YOU think is the pro’s with the XR-50 vs the Smoke? Don’t know what they cost on average in the US, is there a big price difference?Comment
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Something to note... the XR50 has 4 probes, the Smoke has 2. Again, if that's important to you i dunno, but I can easily see how it could be and since they're similar in price...Comment
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And of course the most influencing factor is that Thermoworks includes Jelly Bellies with everything you buy from them.Comment
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I've had the Smoke for 5+ years, and added on their wifi gateway for it. I've had no complaints, and have had it serviced recently because I did something stupid and melted the case by laying something hot down on it, and Thermoworks replaced the casing and screen cover for me.
If you need app access, the entry level Fireboard V2 is $189 and comes in around the same as buying the Smoke + Smoke Gateway, and has the advantage of accommodating up to 6 probes. But the only remote is your phone with the app. If you don't want to hassle with the complexity of a phone app I do kinda like the Smoke in that regard. Like I said, I've go the Smoke wifi gateway, but lately, find myself just using the dedicated remote 90% of the time.
As far as your original comparison, SNSGrills was selling the Maverick XR-50, but stopped that partnership and came out with their own SNS-500 digital thermometer, which like the XR-50, is a 4 channel unit. The main advantage of either the XR-50 or SNS-500 over the Smoke would be 2 more probe inputs, if you think you need them. I've only needed a 3rd probe when running multiple smokers, which is something I rarely find myself doing. Another difference is that the XR-50 and SNS-500 are supposed to have waterproof/resistant probes. The Thermoworks probes are NOT water proof, and you need to take care not to submerge the cables, as water can enter the probe where the braided cable goes into it. I just wash the metal part of the probe after use, and wipe the outside of the cable off with a Clorox wipe or damp paper towel, and put it away.
I personally have had great luck with Thermoworks products, and expect to be using my Smoke for years to come. Only reason I can see to pursue something more expensive is if you want more channels, or want to use it to drive a fan on your smoker.Comment
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